A Shadow In The Darkness
by Vampire Hunter X
Summary: After a horrible defeat, Link takes on the disguise of a masked vigilante.


**A Shadow In The Darkness**   
  


Chapter 1: 

Link ran as fast as he could, with Zelda by his side. In his hand, he clutched the sacred amulet, the one fabled to have the power to waken sleeping fairies. They needed it's power to help Navi, Link's guardian fairy, who had been put under a spell that made her sleep. Link and Zelda had stormed the castle of Xamura, the man responsible for the spell, and retrieved the amulet. Now, they ran through the catacombs with Xamura's forces right behind them. Suddenly, the footsteps of the approaching army fell silent. It seemed as if they had given up their pursuit. Link turned his head to look, and didn't notice the vine coming out of the ground. It grabbed his leg, and Link's own momentum brought him to the ground. 

"Link!" 

As Zelda rushed to his aid, Link heard a rumbling sound coming from behind them. It was a horrifying sound, one that no living creature could make. 

"Run, Zelda. Don't worry about me. Just run!" 

Zelda did as she was told, without question. She had learned long ago that if Link said to run, it was in everyone's best interests to run. Link quickly drew the master sword and began to hack away at the vine around his ankle. As it fell away, Link stood up and began to run as fast as his legs could carry him. The sound was getting louder, closer. 

Zelda reached the exit first. As she came to the edge of the cliff in front of her, she stumbled and nearly plunged into the water below. Her attention was caught by a scream of pain and suffering that came from the cave she had just exited. Seeing a bright light rapidly coming her way, Zelda leaped to the side just in time to avoid a huge pillar of fire that shot like a cannon out of the cave. 

The blast caused a cave in, blocking the doorway. Though this didn't matter much, because there probably weren't any living things left inside. No living thing could have survived. 

For a moment, Zelda refused to accept the obvious. She pounded and clawed at the stones blocking the entrance. Tears streamed from her eyes. Finally, the truth came over her. Slowly, she began to make her way back to the castle. She would tell her father the king, and all others that dwelt in Hyrule castle, of the death of the greatest hero in the land.   
  


Chapter 2: 

A few hours went by, and the smoke slowly cleared. A figure lay on the ground, barely breathing. Link slowly and painfully got to his feet, and looked around at the black nothingness. The blast would have killed him, if it weren't for the protection of the master sword. It had saved his life. With what little energy he had left, Link raised the sword and fired an energy blast in what he hoped was the direction of the doorway. As luck would have it, the blast found it's mark, and daylight flooded the cave. Link stumbled out; and just as he reached the edge of the cliff, he lost consciousness and plunged into the waiting sea. 

Zelda refused to come out of her room. She wept uncontrollably for the fallen hero. He had saved her life many times. But when the time came, she could not return the favor. 

"What I wouldn't give just to see his face again. To know that he was all right." 

This was a wish that could not be granted just yet. And Zelda would never be the same until it was. 

Link came to, on the shore of the Zora river. Pain engulfed his entire body, as if he were still on fire. He slowly crept up to the water, in order to wash his face, and was absolutely horrified at what he saw. A face stared back at him, only it wasn't the face he knew. This face was horribly scarred and disfigured. Burns covered one half of the face, and the other side exposed the bone of Link's skull. All but a small patch of his hair, in the front, had been burned off. 

Link ran into a nearby cave, fearing what Zelda would say, what anyone would say, if they saw him like this. He could no longer face the world. At first, he was filled with self pity. Little by little, the sorrow began to transform into anger. An unadulterated hatred for the people who had done this to him. Xamura and his followers had to pay. 

This driving ambition completely overcame the young boy. He shut himself up in the cave, and began to train. Day and night, he strengthened both his body and his mind. Living off of slimes and fungi, he dedicated all his time to becoming the perfect soldier. 

Two years quickly went by. 

When the doorway to the cave finally opened, Link had changed, drastically. Not only was his body bigger, but his skill and gracefulness had improved as well. He ran to a nearby house, and tore the sheets off the clothesline. Within a few hours, he had stitched them into a new set of clothes. One that would hide his face from all the world, and protect his identity. It fit snugly over his entire body, like that of a ninja. Of course, he wouldn't be able to use the master sword any longer, as someone would recognize him. His next objective became finding a new weapon.   
  


Chapter 3: 

Link approached the House of the Sacred Flame, a mystical location known only to a select few. Seeing a spear that interested him, he relinquished the statue holding it of it's weapon. He walked up to the fire, and plunged the tip of the spear deep within it's flames. 

"And just what, might I ask, are you doing?" 

Link spun around to face the speaker, and looked into the eyes of a man holding a very large sword. 

"I'll ask you again, what are you doing? Who are you?" 

"My name is...." Link couldn't believe the sound of his own voice. It had been so long since he had spoken that he didn't realize the damage that had been done to it. The flames must have damaged his vocal chords, for his words now came out as a kind of growl. 

"Your name is what?" 

"My name is....." Link thought for a moment, then considered his new appearance. 

"Just call me 'Shadow.'" 

"Well Shadow, I am Ramius. However, you may call me the bringer of death if you are here of ill motives." 

"I mean you no harm, I have just come to this place to get a weapon. I need it to fight off a man named Xamura." 

"Xamura?!?" Ramius said the name as one would say the name of a plague. 

"The man who killed Link, the hero of Hyrule?" 

"So that's what happened to him." 

"Indeed. And since then, the kingdom has been in an uproar. The king has spent so much of his time worrying about his daughter's condition lately, that armies have risen up all over the kingdom." 

"What do you mean 'His daughter's condition?'" 

"Ever since the day that Link was killed, she has been in a state of depression. Nothing has been able to lift her spirits. She must have had strong feelings for him." 

"Yes. So about these armies." 

"The three main armies consist of the swamp dwellers, the desert nomads, and, the most powerful of them all, the inhabitants of the forest. It is this legion that is lead by Xamura, who has his castle so heavily guarded that no person could ever sneak in unnoticed." 

"Something must be done." 

"Something is being done. I am also the leader of a small army, around one hundred men, who plans to put an end to this madness." 

"Let me join you. As I said, I have a score to settle, and you sound as if you could use all the help you can get." 

"This is true. Very well. I now welcome you, Shadow, to the Knights of Hyrule."   
  


Chapter 4: 

They arrived at the headquarters of the Knights of Hyrule, a run down old shack in need of much repair. As they entered they were greeted by a number of people. 

"Boys, I'd like you to meet our new recruit, Shadow." The cheers of the other soldiers took Link back to his early days of glory in Hyrule Castle. He longed to return to those simpler times, but that was impossible now. 

"You should get some rest. Never know when we may have to move out." 

Link gladly complied with the order. He hadn't slept in days. It didn't take long before Link was fast asleep. He dreamed of Zelda, heartbroken and alone. He also dreamed of Xamura, sitting on his throne and laughing at the misfortune of others. 

"Quickly, were under attack. To your posts knights." The call to battle woke Link, who looked around to see the place in utter chaos. People ran carrying weapons and shields, and all headed out the main gate. Link grabbed his weapon, and made a dash to join the front. 

"Knights of Hyrule, Xamura has ordered your immediate destruction. No one stands in our way." 

The realization that these were minions of Xamura sent Link into a frenzy. He jumped into the middle of the pack of about seven hundred warriors, and began taking them down one at a time. The rest of the Knights of Hyrule, inspired by Link's bravery, joined the battle. At one point during the battle, a piece of Link's mask was ripped in the front. He fought, unyielding, until none of Xamura's men remained. A cry of victory was heard, and Link was raised over the men's shoulders. Ramius walked over to congratulate Link. 

"Your either very brave or very stupid. Now which is it?" Everyone laughed. Link was not amused. 

"I'm impressed. If you wouldn't mind the responsibility, I'd like you to lead a group to Hyrule Castle. Maybe someone as inspirational as you can talk some sense into the royal family." 

"I'd be honored." 

"Good, then you'll leave at dawn." 

Link ripped off the piece of his mask that had been torn, and pulled his patch of hair through it to fill it in. 

The next day, Link set out with twelve other men in his company. Hyrule Castle was seven days away on foot, so it took them about three days by horse. 

During the long ride, Link made the acquaintance of one of the riders. 

"I saw you fight in that battle yesterday. Your pretty strong. Tell me, how is it that I've never heard of you before?" 

"You guys ask way too many questions. What concern is my past life to you?" 

"Just making conversation. My name's Ezekiel, but everyone calls me Zeke." 

"They call me Shadow." 

"So I've heard. You ever been to the castle before now?" 

"I've been known to stop by on occasions." 

"Really? Have you ever met the princess?" 

"I've seen her, but we've never actually met." 

"I hear she's one of the most beautiful women in all of Hyrule." 

"I can tell you for a fact that she is." 

"I hope we get a chance to meet her. So, ever been up on Death Peak?" 

Upon arrival, the group found lodgings in Kakariko village's local inn. The ride had taken it's toll on them, so they decided to spend the night, and head to the castle in the morning. 

The next morning they set out. Upon approaching the castle, the sound of a battle could be heard. Link rushed to the draw bridge to see that they had arrived just in time. Xamura's forces had begun an assault on the castle.   
  


Chapter 5: 

The Knights of Hyrule followed Link into the courtyard, and began trading blows with the attackers. As Link was battling, he heard a familiar voice. 

"Let me go, you idiots. Or, so help me, I'll..." 

It was Zelda. Some of Xamura's soldiers had captured her and managed to drag her out of the castle. Though that is as far as they got. Zelda freed herself from their grasp. Her would be kidnapers ran off to look for other things to occupy themselves with once Zelda had drawn her sword. 

Link hacked away with his spear. The more the enemy tried to subdue him, the more he fought back. He fought so hard that he didn't even notice Zelda behind him. He spun around, only to look directly into her face. As she looked back, there seemed to be a sparkle of recognition in her eyes. Link quickly turned away before she could put it all together. 

The battle continued for a short while, and ended with the retreat of the enemy. The king, who had heard of his daughter's recovery, came out to take part in the celebration. He wanted to meet the brave young man who had intervened just in time to save his kingdom. 

"Well, young man, just what is your name?" 

"My name is Shadow." 

"Oh, come now. That can't be your real name." 

"It is the name that was given to me on the day of my creation." 

"Strange name or no, you are still a hero. I would like to welcome you into the castle. We shall have a great feast in honor of your bravery." 

"That's all right. I really must be going." 

Link quickly ran to the castle wall, and jumped over it. The Knights of Hyrule followed him back to the inn. 

Later that day Link lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling, when in walked Zeke. 

"So what happened back there?" 

"What do you mean? We won." 

"I mean why did you refuse the king's invitation. He invited us into his home, and you basically slapped him in the face." 

"I have my reasons." 

"Well your reasons may have just cost us an ally." 

"What do you mean 'an ally?'" 

"Obviously he's having problems with Xamura as well. Wouldn't it make sense to combine our forces with the Hyrule army and take him out now?" 

"That wasn't our mission." 

"Not out mission? I guess I was wrong about you. I thought you were a warrior. Turns out you just follow orders, whatever they may be." 

"You're wrong. At one time, I was one of the greatest warriors in all of Hyrule." 

"A long time ago isn't helping us much right now, is it?" 

Zeke left Link to think things over. After reviewing the situation for the hundredth time, Link decided to go and see if the king's invitation still stood. On his way out the door he bumped into Zelda, who was coming to see him. 

"I've come to give you another chance. My father still wants to honor you and your men, but he'll understand if you decline." 

"I was just on my way to ask him about that." 

"Good, then he'll expect you at seven......." Zelda noticed the master sword, sticking out of a pile of Link's belongings in the corner. "Where did you get this?" 

Link thought up a lie as fast as his mind could work. 

"I got it from a man named Link, just before he died." 

"Link?!? You're lying. He was killed by Xamura, two years ago. I was there when he died. He was killed instantly." 

"No, he wasn't. In fact, he just barely survived long enough to meet me. I found him washed ashore, and tried to help him. For two weeks I took care of him, but to no avail. He died soon afterwards. You're Zelda, right? He often spoke of you. I must say, his descriptions of your beauty were not exaggerated. He had told me that if I ever found you, that you were to have it. He said that nobody else would know how to use it. I know I can't." 

As Link handed the sword to Zelda, she began to cry. 

"I wish I could have seen him before he died. To ask for his forgiveness." 

"I don't think he blamed you. He only spoke the most flattering things about you. He also said that you weren't to cry for him. He knew what could happen when he began this journey, and accepts the consequences." 

"That sounds like something he'd say. You're right. He would have wanted it that way. So I guess I'll see you at the castle later." 

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." 

The time came, and Link walked with his group into the castle. They were greeted immediately by the king's messengers. As they walked through the castle, Link noticed a room with a familiar crest. It was the room that housed the Triforce of wisdom. 

"What's in there?" Link asked, in order to dismiss suspicion. 

"That's the room where the princess keeps the great Triforce of wisdom, one of the most prized possessions of the kingdom. It is said that if all three of the Triforces are united, the bearer will rule the world." 

Link knew this story, all too well. As they continued to walk, Link noticed another room from his past. His room. He looked nostalgically at it, remembering all the time he had spent there. A faint light caught the corner of his eye, and he noticed that it was Navi. But he couldn't be sure if she was asleep or still under the curse. 

"Why does a fairy get a room as big as that?" 

"That was sir Link's room, and that was his guardian fairy, Navi. She was placed under a curse years ago. Sir Link died trying to remove it. Since then, no one has been able to waken her. We placed her in here to honor his memory." 

At last, they came to the great banquet hall. Over dinner, Link and Zeke talked with the king about forming an alliance to put an end to Xamura. The king gladly agreed, knowing that his kingdom had always been one of Xamura's most coveted gems. 

After dinner, plans for the assault were drawn up. Half of the men would be positioned on the north front, while the other would attack from the south. In the ensuing confusion, Link would make his way into Xamura's castle and defeat him. 

As soon as it grew dark, the army set out on it's journey.   
  


Chapter 6: 

It didn't take them long to get to Xamura's castle. It was heavily guarded, and seemed to have no way to get in without being spotted. This wouldn't be a problem, as they had planned for every contingency. The attack began, and Link rushed in with a fury of swipes from his spear. He wielded it like a master. Just like in the plan, the confusion left Link with an opening, and he made a break for the front gates. Just before he reached them, Zelda ran in front of him, almost knocking him down. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"I couldn't just let all of you do this without helping. Besides, I have a score to settle with him." 

"Just be careful." 

They entered into a long hallway and ran the length of it. At the end was a door. The two entered, only to come face to face with Xamura, who sat arrogantly in his throne as if nothing was wrong. 

"It's about time the two of you made your way to me. We never did get to meet each other on your first visit." 

"You killed Link." yelled Zelda. 

"Did I really? And what do you have to say for yourself?" 

"You murdering scum! I'll make you pay for what you've put me through!" Link lunged at Xamura, who quickly jumped out of the way. Xamura brought his fingers to his lips and whistled, which summoned four guards clad in heavy armor. 

"Come and get me, if you can get past them." With this, Xamura ran up a nearby flight of steps to the roof. 

"Coward!" screamed Link. 

"I'll handle these guys, you go after Xamura." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Trust me." 

Link hit the closest guard to him with his spear, then followed Xamura's path. Xamura stood cornered with Link approaching from behind. 

"So it all comes down to this." 

"I've been waiting for two long years to pay you back." 

In the meantime, Zelda had managed to defeat the last of the guards and quickly made her way to join the final battle. 

"Tell me boy, when you broke into my castle the first time, did you forget something? Perhaps the very item which you had entered to retrieve." 

It was then that, for the first time, Link remembered the amulet he had come to get for Navi. Zelda stood, short of breath, at the top of the stairs, listening to the conversation between Link and Xamura. 

"Yes, I do believe that you risked your life for this." Xamura held out the amulet. 

"I picked it up after you had dropped it in the catacombs. And I'd like to add that you proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that my security system makes this an inescapable fortress." 

"You stole my life from me. I'll make you pay!" 

"Come on then. Let's see if you really deserve the title of 'Link, the hero of Hyrule.'" 

Zelda was shocked at this statement. Link had tricked her into believing that he really had died. She couldn't understand why. He had always come to her with his problems, no matter how ashamed he had been. Now, it was as if he didn't want to be near her. But there was no time to ponder this now, the battle was on. 

Xamura drew a sword out of one of the folds in his cloak, and began to fend off Link's attacks. Link got in a few good hits, but so did Xamura. Finally, Xamura grabbed Link's mask and ripped it off his face. Link tried to cover his face, to stop Zelda from seeing it, but it was too late. She stared in horror at the disfigured face, then quickly took her eyes away. 

"Hahahaha, so that's why you wear the mask, eh hero? What do you think of him now, princess?" 

Xamura was so busy laughing that he didn't notice that the tip of Link's spear had begun to glow a brilliant yellow. Link reached back with it, and with all his bottled up rage and depression fueling it, drove the spear into Xamura's heart, releasing it's power. Xamura screamed in terror, for he knew what was to come next. A blinding light shot out of the hole that the spear had created; and when it finally lifted, Xamura was gone. Never to be heard from again. 

Zelda slowly walked up to Link, trying to think of the right thing to say. Link didn't give her the chance. He grabbed the amulet, retrieved his mask, and dove down into the water. 

"Wait, Link, don't go."   
  


Chapter 7: 

Zelda returned to the castle in a hurry. If she was right, then she would get to see Link again. She ran in and quickly found her father. 

"Where is he?" 

"Who?" 

"Shadow." 

"Oh, I'm sorry, but you just missed him. He came in quite a hurry, and asked to see Navi the fairy. He said that he had the means necessary to remove the curse on her." 

"Where did he go?" 

"I'm not sure. He left the castle, and walked into the forest." 

Zelda rushed out of the castle and into the forest. She searched for hours, but could find no signs of Link. 

Elsewhere in the forest, Link sat talking with Navi. 

"Oh, sure, that's no problem. I can heal you to perfection. It'll take a little while, but it can be done." 

"Do it." Navi began to use her magic to heal the scars and wounds found all over Link's body. The process lasted long into the night. 

When Link awoke, he looked at his reflection in the water. His appearance had returned to normal, although his hair was extremely short now, with the exception of the patch in front. Link stood up, and quickly began running in the direction of Hyrule castle. Navi could barely keep up. 

As he entered the front gates, people took notice. Voices called out all over the market center that the hero of Hyrule had at last returned. A crowd gathered around him, greeting him and welcoming him back. 

Zelda pushed her way through the crowd, and upon seeing Link, threw her arms around him in an unbreakable death lock. She soon regained her composure and let go. 

"What I meant to say was...I mean..." 

"I missed you too, Zelda." 

The two embraced and the crowd let out a cheer that could be heard off in the highest point in Death Mountain. 

"Don't ever leave me like that again." 

"I promise, I won't." 

The next day, long before things had gone back to normal, Link managed to convince the king to instate the Knights of Hyrule into the Hyrule army. Now dressed as himself, he got to the inn just in time to see the group preparing to return. 

"Where are you going?" 

"We're going home. We came here to defeat Xamura, and we did. I just wish I knew what had happened to shadow." 

"That's what I'm here about. Before he left, he talked the king into welcoming the Knights of Hyrule into the castle's army." 

"Really? He did that for us? What about him, will he be joining with us?" 

"Unfortunately, he declined the king's offer. He said that he had other things to take care of." 

"Probably going to silence the uprisings in the swamp and the desert. Thank you. I'll go at once to tell the news to our leader, Ramius." 

"I hope to see you soon." 

A few days later, all of the Knights came to the castle. A celebration was held to welcome them to Hyrule. Within the next week two more celebrations were held. One to commemorate the defeat of Xamura, and the other to welcome back Link, the hero of Hyrule. 

The night of the celebration in honor of Link, Zelda looked all over the castle, but was unable to find him. Eventually, she made her way into the courtyard and found him sitting under a tree. Zelda sat at the opposite side. 

"So here you are." 

"Just looking up at the stars. It's been a while since we've sat and talked like this." 

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" 

"I guess I was still afraid of what you would say if you knew." 

"You mean about your face? It wasn't that bad, and I would never let something as simple as that destroy our friendship." 

"So we're still friends?" 

"Of course. You shouldn't even have to ask. Now come on, everyone will be looking for us." 

"Yeah, let's go." 

Zelda and Link both got up, and walked together to rejoin the party.   
  


** The End**


End file.
